


teukeunhae | christmas angel

by plincess_cho (ai_hao)



Series: Single Dad AU | Leeteuk x Heechul / Donghae x Eunhyuk [3]
Category: Super Junior
Genre: Author: Ai, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ai_hao/pseuds/plincess_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every year, they set an angel on top of the Christmas tree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	teukeunhae | christmas angel

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Ella @ woaini-aishiteimasu-salanghae

Ever since he'd lost his wife to cancer, Jungsoo had always hated Christmas. To him, all the talk of joy and love reminded him of his joy and love passing away. As much as he loved Hyukjae and Donghae, it just wasn't quite the same. He also spent the holiday season feeling sorry that he couldn't provide the boys with a better Christmas. He often worked Christmas Day for the extra hours that paid double, and even after saving all year, he never had enough to buy the boys proper gifts.

This year was no exception. The weather had turned cold at the beginning of autumn and had stayed that way, which meant their heat bill was astronomical. More often than not, Jungsoo brought the boys back to the hotel with him so they could at least be warm. Then they'd trudge home and pull on every pair of clothes they had instead of wearing proper pajamas. Jungsoo would wrap the boys up tightly in blankets before tucking himself in with them and praying the heat would hold out.

"Daddy! Look what we won today!" Donghae exclaimed when Jungsoo collected them from school. He was pointing back at his twin brother who was struggling to carry a large pot. "It's a Christmas tree!"

"Hae, you said you'd help me carry it!" Hyukjae called after him. "It's heavy!"

Jungsoo ran forward to relieve Hyukjae of the pot. Sure enough, the planter held a baby pine tree, not more than two feet tall. "How did you get this?" Jungsoo asked.

"We won it!" Donghae repeated.

"We had a competition at school," Hyukjae explained, "and whoever did the best on their book reports got to take home a baby Christmas tree!"

"And me and Hyukkie won!" Donghae exclaimed. "Well, Hyuk won, but since I'm his brother, I won too!"

"Great job, Hyukjae!" Jungsoo congratulated the older twin. "I'm really proud of you!"

"Thanks, Daddy," Hyukjae replied. "Now we can have a real Christmas tree!"

"Now we can," Jungsoo said.

They brought the tree up to their apartment and set it on the floor in a corner. Hyukjae found a red t-shirt and wrapped it around the base as a makeshift tree skirt while Jungsoo pulled a dusty box out of the closet.

"What are those, Daddy?" Donghae asked.

Jungsoo set the box on the floor and motioned for the boys to gather around. Together, the twins watched as Jungsoo carefully opened the box and pulled out several large ornaments. "These are Christmas ornaments," he explained. "You know the big Christmas tree they set up by city hall each year?" The boys nodded. "These are mini versions of the ornaments on that tree. You hang them on the branches just like this." He demonstrated.

"Woahh," the boys exclaimed in unison. "I want to try!"

Jungsoo gave each boy an ornament and instructed them on how to place them on the tiny tree. It didn't take long for them to fill the tree's branches with the ornaments, and when they were done, Donghae and Hyukjae stepped back to survey their work.

"It really looks like a real Christmas tree," Donghae said in awe.

"That's because it  _is_  a real Christmas tree, you pabo," Hyukjae replied.

"Wait, we still have one more," Jungsoo said. He pulled a smaller box from the larger one and gently pulled out a bundle wrapped in tissue paper. He gingerly peeled back the layers of tissue and held up a beautiful hand-painted angel. Just looking at it brought tears to his eyes and he couldn't blink them back quickly enough.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" Donghae asked, eyeing his father with concern.

"Your great-grandmother gave this to us the day that your mom and I got married," Leeteuk said quietly. "At the time, she was very old, but she used all of her strength to paint this for us. When she was younger, she painted for a living, but when she grew older, it was harder for her to hold the brush. This was the last angel she painted before she passed away. I'm sure she would have given both of you angels if she had met you."

The boys were both quiet. They both gazed at the angel in Jungsoo’s hands and wondered what Christmas would be like if they weren’t missing all of these important people from their lives.

Jungsoo carefully set the angel on the top of the little tree. “There,” he said quietly. “Now your mother can be with us for Christmas this year.”

*

It was an accident, and that's what Jungsoo had to keep reminding himself as he held the broken angel in his hands. Surely Hyukjae and Donghae hadn't meant to bump into the tree, it had just happened. But Jungsoo couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes.

"We're sorry, Daddy," Hyukjae said. The boys were both in tears over seeing their father so upset.

"You need to be more careful," Jungsoo said, choosing his words carefully. The boys nodded solemnly and hurried to get ready for bed. Jungsoo tucked them in, kissing each boy's forehead and assuring them he wasn't mad. He closed the door to their shared bedroom and tiptoed back out to the kitchen. Moonlight was streaming through the tiny window above the sink, illuminating the broken angel lying on the table. The angel's eyes were closed as the head was bowed in quiet prayer, but to Jungsoo, it looked like the angel was asleep, or worse, dead. It was taunting him: the angel embodied pure innocence but now it lay broken and destroyed. Just like everything else Jungsoo seemed to touch. They'd been doing fine when his wife was still alive, but once she died, Jungsoo couldn't seem to keep anything together. The depression had driven him out of a job, out of their old home, and out of the nicer parts of the city. He'd managed to find work again, but the hotel demanded late hours with not enough pay. He wanted to give Hyukjae and Donghae everything and more, but he hardly had any of himself left to give.

He pulled a bottle of soju out of the fridge and downed half of it without thinking. He slumped down onto the floor to finish the other half and started to cry. Why had everything been taken from him so soon? He knew he should be thankful for the things he had: the boys, a roof over their heads, a somewhat terrible job. But right now, he was angry, drunk, and lightheaded from the sudden infusion of alcohol.

*

The next morning, Heechul found him splayed out on the floor with the bottle clutched tightly in his grasp. He couldn't help but chuckle sadly: his brother never could hold his alcohol like he could. Jungsoo hardly drank because of it, and Heechul immediately grew concerned. He looked around the tiny apartment but found nothing out of the ordinary until his eyes fell upon the ceramic shards on the table.

He remembered that angel: he had one as well. His grandmother had promised to paint him one as well once he got married, but before she died, she painted him one anyways. "Just in case," she'd said. "But you still need a guardian angel."

Heechul knew exactly what had happened to this angel: one of the twins must have knocked the angel off the tree. It probably had been an accident: there were all sorts of accidents when it came to Donghae. But it was the last piece of their mother that Jungsoo had.

Heechul rummaged through the cupboards for a bowl and gently placed all of the ceramic pieces into it, making sure no sharp pieces were left behind. Then, he shook Jungsoo awake.

"Shit, what time is it?" were the first words out of Jungsoo's mouth.

"Time for you to leave," Heechul replied. "I'll get the boys - you get ready."

Jungsoo's head throbbed and he squinted at the little patch of sunlight, but he did as he was told. He hurried to pull on his uniform and grab his things, but before he could run out the door, a small voice stopped him.

"Daddy?" a sleepy Donghae padded out from the bedroom. "Are you going to work?"

"Yeah, Hae," Jungsoo replied. "But I'll pick you up from school, okay?"

"Okay," Donghae replied. Then he ran towards his father and threw his arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jungsoo replied. He kissed the top of Donghae's head before pulling on his shoes.

Once the door closed behind Jungsoo, Donghae walked back into the bedroom to find Hyukjae in tears.

"He really liked the angel, Uncle Heechul, but we broke it on accident," Hyukjae sobbed. "We didn't mean to! It just happened!"

Heechul rubbed Hyukjae's back. "Ya, we know it was an accident. Accidents happen."

"But you should've seen his face," Hyukjae wailed.

The sight of his brother crying and the memories from last night made Donghae start crying as well, and soon Heechul had two hysterical boys on his hands. He awkwardly patted their backs and held them close, trying to reassure them that it would all be okay.

*

After dropping the boys off at school, Heechul finished two jobs before walking back to his tiny apartment in the cold. He could see his breath every time he exhaled and longed for a warmer climate. He trudged up the stairs and pulled open the door. His apartment held no signs of Christmas cheer, but he didn’t particularly care. He’d be spending Christmas looking after the twins for Jungsoo, since once again, Jungsoo had to work on Christmas day. He knew Jungsoo didn’t have the money for presents this year, and Heechul wasn’t doing much better. Sometimes when he’d go out on calls, the customers would give him a little extra something for fixing their electric problems so close to the holidays. He’d accumulated a decent pile of chocolates, but nothing substantial.

But then he realized what the best present of all would be. He dusted off a box that had sat in the corner for as long as he could remember and rummaged through its contents. He pulled out a smaller box with his name etched on the top and opened it.

Inside lay a ceramic angel quite similar to the one Heechul had seen at Jungsoo’s apartment. But this one was perfectly intact, albeit painted slightly differently. Heechul looked at the angel and sighed. He treasured the angel, but Jungsoo would treasure it more.

*

“Uncle Heechul, may we borrow some money?” Donghae asked suddenly.

Heechul looked up from his instant noodles and gave him a quizzical look. “What do you need, Hae?”

“Well…” he looked at his brother before continuing, “We want to get Daddy something for Christmas. Since… since we broke his angel.”

“But we only have 2,000 won,” Hyukjae said. “That’s not enough to buy anything besides soju.”

“And Jungsoo doesn’t need any more of that,” Heechul muttered under his breath. “What were you boys thinking of buying?”

“We wanted to get him another angel,” Hyukjae said. “Of courseit wouldn’t be as special as the one great-grandma made him, but made he would like it.”

Heechul got up from where they were sitting on the floor and went for the little box he’d opened earlier. He heard Donghae whisper to Hyukjae, “Oh no, did we make him mad too?” He walked back to the boys and set the box down in front of them.

“What… what is it?” Donghae asked.

“Open it,” Heechul instructed. “Wipe your hands first.”

Donghae did as he was told and then opened the lid of the box. He peeled back the tissue paper and gasped. “You fixed it?”

“No,” Heechul said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “But your dad doesn’t know about this one. You see, your great-grandmother painted one for me too, but she never made a big show of giving it to me. She… she knew she wasn’t going to be around for much longer, so she gave it to me early.”

“Wow,” the boys said simultaneously.

“I want you to have it,” Heechul said.

Both boys were silent. Finally, Hyukjae said, “Uncle Heechul… we can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” Heechul said. “It’s been sitting in a box in my apartment for the last four years. It’ll mean a lot to your dad.”

Donghae wrapped the angel back up in the tissue paper and closed the lid. “Thank you, Uncle Heechul.”

“Thank you,” Hyukjae said. He stood up abruptly and hugged him.

“No problem, kid,” Heechul replied. “Just make your dad happy.”

*

Jungsoo worked all of Christmas Eve and Christmas day, and the boys were both bursting with excitement for him to come home. On more than one occasion, Donghae almost ruined the surprise, but Hyukjae and Heechul managed to cover for him. Finally, Jungsoo arrived back at their apartment late Christmas night. He looked haggard and weary, but tried to smile for the boys’ sake. He held two small packages in his hand and handed them to Heechul before shrugging off his coat and boots.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!” the twins exclaimed, running at their father. They hugged him tightly and dragged him into the main area of the apartment. “Let’s open presents!”

“Alright, alright,” Jungsoo said with a smile.

The four of them compiled their presents in the middle. After Jungsoo’s packages, the boys’ poorly wrapped box, and Heechul’s chocolate, there wasn’t much else, but the boys didn’t care. Donghae pushed the box towards Jungsoo. “Merry Christmas, Daddy!”

“Don’t you boys want to open your presents first?” Jungsoo asked.

“No!” they exclaimed.

Jungsoo looked at Heechul, but his brother’s expression was impassive. So instead, he tore off the newspaper and opened the box. His eyes widened and he looked up at the others, tears already stinging his eyes. “How did…” he looked towards the bowl in the kitchen where the broken ceramic pieces still lay.

“Grandmother painted one for me, right after your wedding. I think she figured she should do it while she still could instead of waiting for me to get married,” Heechul explained.

“I can’t take your angel,” Jungsoo said.

“Yes, you can,” Heechul replied. “Look, I… I want you to have it. The boys want you to have it. I never look at it. In fact, I’ll probably see it more here than I would otherwise.”

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Jungsoo replied. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“Daddy,” Donghae said, his voice wavering. “Daddy, we thought you’d be happy.”

“Yeah,” Hyukjae said. “We thought you were sad because we broke the angel so we got a new one.”

“Did we do the wrong thing?” both boys stared at their father with worried looks.

Jungsoo realized that the boys were mistaking his tears for tears of sadness. He hurriedly wiped them away and reached out for his sons. “No, no,” he said. “This… this is a wonderful present.”

“But you’re crying,” Donghae sniffled. “People cry when they’re sad.”

“Sometimes they cry when they’re happy too, Hae,” Jungsoo said softly. He hugged the boys close. “Thank you, boys.”

“Merry Christmas,” Heechul said softly.

*

That night, Jungsoo lay awake. Donghae and Hyukjae were snuggled up against him on either side, fast asleep, but Jungsoo’s mind was too filled with memories. They’d put the angel up on the tree again, and the boys were extremely careful. It reminded Jungsoo of putting the angel on the tree when the boys were just babies. He’d held Donghae in his arms while he watched his wife set the angel on the tree with Hyukjae on her hip.

_“Be careful!”_

_“I’m being careful!” she’d laughed. She ensured the angel wouldn’t fall before readjusting Hyukjae in her arms. Then, she leaned over, kissed Jungsoo on the lips, and sat down on the couch next to him. “Merry Christmas, darling.”_

_“Merry Christmas.”_

Donghae snuggled closer his sleep, and Jungsoo pulled him close. He couldn’t believe the boys went to Heechul looking for an angel to replace the one they’d broken. Jungsoo almost teared up again just thinking about it.

He fell asleep thinking about how they were growing up. He hoped for many more Christmases together and that next year would be better.

They’d make it better.

They’d make it.


End file.
